Montana college grants and state scholarships are smaller and more merit-driven than in many states. The two programs the Montana University System (MUS) runs for graduating seniors are the MUS Honor Scholarship, a tuition waiver, and the Montana STEM/Healthcare Scholarship, which pays $1,000 to $2,000 a year. Montana does not run a large statewide need-based grant like Washington’s or Oregon’s, so the FAFSA, the Federal Pell Grant and your campus’s own aid do most of the work for students with financial need.
Both MUS scholarships are applied for through Award Montana (AwardMontana.mus.edu), and both are only for students who apply in the year they graduate from a Montana-accredited high school. If you are already in college or returning as an adult, neither program is open to you, and your campus financial aid office is the right first stop.
Montana STEM/Healthcare Scholarship
According to MUS, the STEM/Healthcare Scholarship is designed “to provide an incentive for Montana high school students to prepare for, enter into, and complete degrees in postsecondary fields related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics and healthcare” (Montana University System, STEM/Healthcare Scholarship Program).
Students who are awarded the scholarship and keep meeting the requirements may receive:
| Year of college | Award published by MUS |
|---|---|
| First year | $1,000 |
| Second year | $1,500 |
| Third year | $1,500 |
| Fourth year | $2,000 |
MUS’s page does not tie these amounts to a single award year; they are the amounts the program lists as of November 2026. Confirm them on the fact sheet linked from the MUS page when you apply.
Who qualifies for the STEM scholarship
To receive the first-year award, MUS says you must:
- Be a Montana resident under Board of Regents Policy 940.1.
- Apply in the year you graduate from a high school accredited by the Montana Board of Public Education.
- Have a cumulative high school GPA of at least 3.25.
- Complete 4 years of college-prep math and 3 years of college-prep science by graduation.
- Apply to and be accepted by an eligible campus.
- Be seeking a first certificate, 2-year or 4-year degree.
- Declare a qualifying STEM or healthcare major.
- Enroll full time (12 or more credits) each semester.
- Enroll in the first fall semester right after high school graduation.
The last rule catches people out. A gap year, or starting in spring, ends eligibility, because the program is built around students who go straight from high school into a STEM or healthcare program.
How to apply and the March 15 deadline
MUS lists a multi-step process, and the application is not complete until every step is done:
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- Apply to and be accepted by an eligible campus.
- Apply online at AwardMontana.mus.edu by March 15.
- Print the Math and Science Certification page from the application and have your high school counselor sign it.
- Upload your official 7th-semester transcript (freshman year through the first semester of senior year, with cumulative GPA), your college acceptance letter or email, and the signed certification page.
MUS suggests requesting your transcript from your high school in early February so it is ready before the deadline.
MUS Honor Scholarship
The MUS Honor Scholarship is “a 4-year renewable scholarship, which waives the recipient’s tuition when used at an eligible campus.” MUS puts its average value at a 4-year Montana campus at $5,000 a year, or $20,000 over four years, and says the Board of Regents intends to offer up to 200 scholarships a year, contingent on continued funding (Montana University System, MUS Honor Scholarship).
Two things to know before you count on it. First, it waives tuition only; MUS says the scholarship “does not cover mandatory or class fees,” so ask your college which fees you will still pay. Second, it is competitive: recipients are selected on class ranking by high school GPA and the higher of your ACT or SAT score.
Honor Scholarship eligibility
- Apply the year you graduate from a high school accredited by the Montana Board of Public Education.
- Be enrolled full time at such a high school for at least three years, including senior year.
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4 at the end of the 7th semester.
- Be on track to meet the Board of Regents Rigorous Core requirements, or receive an IB Diploma.
- Take the ACT or SAT by senior year.
- Be a Montana resident and be accepted by an eligible campus.
MUS says applications open December 1 on AwardMontana.mus.edu. You upload your 7th-semester transcript, acceptance letter, proof of your ACT or SAT score, and a Rigorous Core/Attendance Certification page signed by your counselor. The scholarship may be kept for up to 8 semesters and, with proper notification, transferred to another eligible campus.
Montana scholarship comparison
| STEM/Healthcare Scholarship | MUS Honor Scholarship | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Merit plus major requirement | Merit, competitive |
| Minimum GPA | 3.25 cumulative | 3.4 at end of 7th semester |
| Test score | Not listed | ACT or SAT required |
| What it pays | $1,000 / $1,500 / $1,500 / $2,000 by year | Waives tuition (not fees) |
| Where to apply | AwardMontana.mus.edu | AwardMontana.mus.edu (opens Dec. 1) |
| Deadline | March 15 | See MUS fact sheet |
What about need-based state grants in Montana?
Older guides mention the Montana Tuition Assistance Program, or Baker Grant. We could not find a current MUS page confirming that it is funded for 2026-27 or 2027-28, so do not budget on it. Ask your campus aid office whether any state need-based money is in your package.
For most Montana students with financial need, the biggest grant is the Federal Pell Grant, which you get by filing the FAFSA. The 2027-28 FAFSA is open now for students starting college in fall 2027. Our guide on how to fill out the FAFSA walks through it, and our FAFSA deadlines guide explains why your college’s priority date usually matters most.
One federal change to know: for award years beginning on or after July 1, 2026, a student whose non-federal aid equals or exceeds the cost of attendance is not eligible for Pell, according to a June 4, 2026 Federal Student Aid electronic announcement. A tuition waiver plus a STEM award rarely reaches full cost of attendance, which includes housing and food, but your aid office will check.
Montana senior-year checklist
- Fall of senior year: file the 2027-28 FAFSA and apply to at least one MUS campus.
- Take the ACT or SAT if you are aiming for the Honor Scholarship.
- December 1: Honor Scholarship applications open on Award Montana.
- Early February: request your 7th-semester transcript.
- Get your counselor to sign the certification page for each scholarship.
- By March 15: submit the STEM/Healthcare application with all uploads.
- Plan to start full time in the fall right after graduation.
Where to go next
Compare Montana with other states in our guide to state grants for college, and use our free scholarship finder to look for local and private awards that stack on top. Award Montana answers scholarship questions at [email protected] or 1-800-537-7508.